Australia vs England 3rd ODI, Review: Jos Buttler's ton, tight death bowling hand England the series

It was a closely fought match for the first time in the series as the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) brimmed with fans anticipating a good contest. England needed this win to seal the series while Australia’s intentions were to stay alive. The visitors after tailing for some part of both the innings ended strong each time and that gave them the winning edge.

They didn’t quite have the fancied start to their batting innings as the Australian pace attack was on top in the first half and had them under the pump at 107/4 but the 113-run partnership between Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes gave them a thunderous push to end up with 302.

Australia were pretty much in the chase until the last four balls but England’s death bowling fervour came to the fore once again as they choked the runs and grabbed the game by 16 runs to win the match and with the series 3-0.

Four changes in the XI

Having suffered two defeats letting the Brits chase, Steve Smith this time decided to bowl first. To strengthen the bowling attack they brought back the mainstays Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins for Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson. The Aussies missed a spinner in the first two matches and thus Travis Head made way for Adam Zampa while Tim Paine also took back the gloves from Alex Carey.

The difference was visible straight away as Cummins accounted for Jason Roy in only his second over to create the first opening and Zampa cleaned up Bairstow after both of them had starts worth 19 and 39 respectively. Alex Hales then hit one straight to Zampa at mid-on and departed with just a run in his account.

Skipper Eoin Morgan and Joe Root had a brief partnership but the latter played one on from Hazlewood and England now sought a hand from their lower order that runs deep. Buttler combined with the skipper then to initiate reconstruction. They put up a partnership worth 65 runs but just when they were looking up the ante, Morgan was dismissed by the consistent Hazlewood for 41 and at 189/6 it was now up to Buttler to get them to a par total.

Final flourish

He found an able partner in Chris Woakes who could match his aggression and the all-rounder once again displayed his batting prowess and with frequent boundaries, they pushed the run rate up and the pressure was now on the Aussies bowlers. Buttler did what he does best and put the bowlers off. Cummins who had bowled exceedingly well in his first spell was served with a couple of consecutive sixes and two a back to back boundaries in the same over.

Woakes stroked five boundaries and two sixes in his knock worth 53 off 36 balls. He got to his half century in the final over pulling a short one from Starc for a six. He also allowed Buttler who was on 98 a ball to achieve his 5th ODI hundred and he got there in the end with a double. His 100 included six boundaries and four sixes which helped England post an imposing 302/6 in fifty overs.

Poor start

Australia didn’t quite get on with the chase as David Warner’s poor run in the ODI series continued. He handed Hales a catch off Woakes after scoring just 8, Cameron White hasn’t quite been able to make the most of this recall and he was dismissed for 17.

Once the skipper walks out to the middle, the Aussies look a different batting unit and Steve Smith knows this. He partnered Aaron Finch who was getting the runs at the other end while Australia lost two early wickets. Finch after two hundreds in the first two matches scored another half century but couldn’t carry on this time. He was out lbw to Adil Rashid for 62.

Miss the winning impetus

Smith stitched another half century stand with Mitchell Marsh to stabilize and direct the chase however he was dismissed five short of fifty but more importantly at a crucial stage in the game. Marsh carried on with Marcus Stoinis and both of them kept the scoreboard ticking but their contributions worth 55 and 56 weren’t enough to take the team over the line.

Marsh and Smith consumed far too many deliveries trying to suck the pressure up and that is what they lacked in the end. Stoinis and Tim Paine had a task too tall to attain in the last ten overs and though they tried to the best of their abilities Woakes and Mark Wood are two experienced death bowlers and didn’t let them get the required runs.

Australia, in the end, lost the match by 16 runs despite having 4 wickets in hand. If the Ashes was all about the home team’s dominance they’ve lost colour since switching to coloured clothing.

Brief Scores:

England: 302/6 (Jos Buttler 100*, Woakes 53*; Josh Hazlewood 2/58)

Australia: 286/6 (Aaron Finch 62, Marcus Stoinis 56; Mark Wood 2/6)

Man of the Match: Jos Buttler